Draft gear



Emma? A H. C. 'PRIIEBE ,wmm

DRAFT GEAR Filed Dec. 12. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4cm 9 v 193. A Q

H. c. PRIIEBE DRAFT GEAR Filed Dec. 12. 1922 5 Shcaets=-Shee% 2 53mb Q H. C. PRIIEBE DRAFT GEAR Filed Dec. 12. 1922 3 Sheaba sheet ii Elli Patented @ct. Q, i923.

l llttll ztll HERMAN c. reuse, or BLUE ismmn, ILLINOIS;

DRAET GEAR.

Application filed December 12, 1922. Serial No. 608,522.

To all 21! h am. 2'2. only concern:

Be it known that l. HERMAN G. Prunes.

citizen of. the United States. residing at Blue island. in the county of (00k and State of nun-01's, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draft Gears, of which the following is a. full, clear, concise, and exact description. My invention relates to draft-gears and has for its objects the provision of an improvement in the construction of motion resisting mechanism and the means for carrying the same. A draft gear carrying out both objects of my invention includes a coupler having a yoke formed with an outwardly facing spring receiving seat upon its inner end, said yoke having one of its sides of Y-shape with the stem of the V at the outer portion of the yoke and the branches of the Y at the inner portion of theyoke, a longitudinal spring having T 1th inner end upon. "said seat, an outer. follower enclosed by the yoke, and lever mechanism seated upon the branches of the Y-shnped side of the yoke and engaged by the inner end of theeglorcsaid 1 ollower, the inner end of the yoke. and also by theouter end of the aforesaid spring.

The invention will he more fully explained by reference to the acomnpanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the pro fe-rred form of gear shown in assembly with center or draft sills. parts being broken away and parts being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. i; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a. part of the structure; Fig. 4 is a sectional View somewhat similar to Fig.- :2 hut with more parts shown in elevation and some of? the parts being in changed positions; Fig. 5 is a sec-- tional view on line. 5-5 of Fig. lgli'ig. 6 is a perspective view of the preferred form of coupler yoke; l? i;:. 7 is a perspective view of cooperating rockers that, constitute the preferred form of lever mechanism. these rockersheing illustrated in separated relation; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view illus-- tratinq the outer follower that is in assembly witlrthe coupler yoke.

Like ports are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures. I

The center or other draftsills 1, 2 are asseinhlcd inany suitable way with the body of the car as is understood by those skilled in the art. The draft. gear of my invention is interposed between these sills. This draft gear includes a coupler having a stein 3 and a yoke l. The stem is formed with a transverse horizontal key slot therethrough and at the inner end thereof while the outer end of the yoke is formed with similar slots 6 and 7 which are aligned with the slot, in the stem. A key 8 is passed through all of these slots which, with the exception of the slot i the stem, are all longer than the width of the key so that the key may move lrmgitudinally of the yoke in the operation of the gear. '1 his key also passes through slots 9 formed in the center sills, these slots also being longer than the width of the key to permit the key to move longitudinally oi the cent-er sills. I

The coupler yoke is generally of U foru'i with one side thereof above the other. Cheek plates 10 and 11 are engaged by the inner end of the yoke to limit the extent to which the yoke may he moved inwardly. An outerlollower i2 is surrounded or enclosed by the yoke and is engagzeable by the coupler butt to he moved inwardly there-by. Cheek plates l3 and ll are at the forward end of the gear and are engaged by the follower 12 to limit. the extent or the outward movement of the follower. 4

A. key 15 is passed through slots formed in the tollmvcr and center sill-s. l his key is suhsiantially immovable with respect to the outer follower longitudinally of the gear but may move with the follower as the slots ill in the center sills-that receive this key are longer than the width of the key.

lid"

other key 1? is passed through slots formed" 1n the inner end of the coupler yoke and the center sills. the slots 18 in the center sills that receive the ,key being longer than. the width of the key to permit travel of the key longitudinally of the center sills.

,lllotiou resisting spring'mechanisms it of well known t ype. are interposed between the keys l5 and 1?. The yoke of the coupler istormcd with an outwardly faced spring rec-ei'ving seat '20 upon the inner end of the yoke. The lower side of the yoke is of Y- shape with the stem 21 of the V at the outer portion oi the yoke and the branches :22 of the Y at. the inner portion of the yoke. A; coiled spring structure has its inner end upon said seat. strap ill partially surrounds the spring and is connected with the inner portions of the Y-shaped side of the yoke. the strap. yoke and spring seat being preferably formed in one integral casting.

Rockers 25 are disposed within the space between the sides of the yoke and project into alignment with the springs at their lower ends. the upper ends of these rockers being in engagement one with the inner end of the follower 12 and the other with the inner end of the yoke. The rockers have opposed convex co-acting curved surfaces extending transversely of the gear, these rockers being maintained in assembly with the balance of the gear by having overhanging shoulders 26 which rest upon the branchesof the lower yokeside. The spring 23, by engaging the lower portion of the inner rocker. co-operates with both rockers, the follower and the yoke in resisting draft strains. Parts of the rocker that are respectively engaged by the follower and the inner end of the yoke are desirably also convex in curvature whereby the places of engagement of the rockers with said follower and yoke change, this arrangement constituting the preferred form of lever mechanism co-operating with the spring mechanism and the balance of the gear in resistin" motion. 7

Vhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:- 1. In a draft gear. the combination with a coupler having a yoke carrying an outwardly facing spring receiving seat upon its inner end, said yoke having one of its sides of Y-shape with the stem of the Y at the outer portion of the yoke and the branches of the Y at the inner portion of the yoke; of a longitudinal spring having its inner end upon said seat; a strap partially surrounding the spring and oonnected with the inner portions of the Y-shaped side of the yoke; an outer follower enclosed by the yoke; and two rockers having opposed oonvcx co-acting curved surfaces extending transversely of the gear and seated upon the branches of the Y-shaped side of the yoke, one of these rockers being engaged by the inner end of the aforesaid follower and the other of the aforesaid rockers being engaged by the inner end of the yoke. the latter rocker also having engagement with the outer end of the aforesaid spring.

2. In a. draft gear, the combination with a coupler having a yoke carrying an outwvardly facing spring receiving seat upon its inner end, said yoke having one of its sides of Y-shape with the stem of the Y at the outer portion of the yoke and the branches of the Y at the inner portion of the yoke; of a. longitudinal springhaving its inner end upon said seat; a strap partially surrounding the spring and connected with the inner portions of the Y-shaped side of the yoke; an outer follower enclosed by the yoke; and two rockers having opposed convex co-acting curved surfaces extending f 3. In a draft gear, the combination with a coupler having a yoke formed with an outwardly facing spring receiving seat uponits inner end, said yoke having one of its sides of Y-shape with the stem of the Y at the outer portion of the yoke and the branches of the Y at the inner portion of the yoke; of a longitudinal spring having its inner end upon said seat; a strap partially surrounding the spring and connected with the inner portions of the Y-shapcd side of the yoke; an outer follower enclosed by the yoke; and lever mechanism seated upon the branches of the Y-shaped side of the yoke and engaged by the inner end of the aforesaid follower, the inner end of the yoke, and also by the outer end of the aforesaid spring.

4. In a draft gear, the combination with a coupler having a yoke carrying an outwardly facing spring receiving seat upon its inner end, said yoke having one of its sides of Y-shape with the stern of the Y at the outer portion of the yoke and the branches of the Y at the inner portion of the yoke; ofa longitudinal spring having its inner end upon said seat; an outer follower enclosed by the yoke; and two rockers having opposed i convex co-acting curved surfaces extending transversely of the gear and seated upon the branches of the Y-shaped side of-the yoke, one of these rockers being engaged by the inner end of the aforesai'dlfollower and the other of the aforesaid rockers being engaged by the inner end of the yoke. the latter rocker also having engagement with: the outer end of the aforesaid spring:

5. In a draft gear, the combination with acoupler hav ng a yoke carrying an 0l1i1-' reven e? its inner and upon said Seat; end outer follower enclosed by the yoke; and two rockers having opposed convex co-acting curved surfaces extending transversely of the. gear and seated upon the branches of the isliapcd side of the yoke, one of these rockers being engaged by the inner end of the More said follower and the other of the aforesaid rockers being engaged by the inner end of the yoke, the latter rocker also having engagement with the outer end of the aforesaid spring, the parts of the rockers that are espectively engaged by the follower and the inner end of the yoke being of convex curvature.

G. In a draft gear, the combination with a coupler having a yoke formed with an outwardly facing spring receiving seat upon its inner end said yoke having one of its sides of Yehape with the stern of the Y at at the outer portion of the yoke and the branches of the i at the inner portion of the yoke; of a longitudinal spring having its inner end upon said seat; an outer foilo'wer enclosed hy yoke; and lever mechanism seated upon the branches of the Y- shepeti side of the yoke and engaged by the inner end of the aforesaid follower, the inner of the yoke, and also by the outer end of the aforesaid spring.

7. in a draft gear, the combination with a coupler having a, yokecarrying an outwardly facing spring receivingscnt upon its inner end; ofa spring having its inner end upon said sent; an outer follower; and two rockers having opposed convex noneting curved surfaces extending transversely of the gear, one of these rockers being engaged by the inner end of the aforesaid follower and the other of the aforesaid rockers being engaged by the inner end of the yoke, the latter rocker also having engagement, with the outer end of the afore said spring.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe in name this 8th day of December A. ll,

HERE'IAN C. Plf'tIEBlil 

